Indicator system for outdoor power equipment

ABSTRACT

An indicator system for outdoor power equipment, such as a riding lawn mower, may include an illuminating element around the perimeter of a display screen. The illuminating element may be configured to illuminate in a predetermined manner based on a predefined condition occurring in order to alert the operator to the display screen. The display screen may be configured to display more detail about the predefined condition while the illuminating element is illuminated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/354,611 filed Apr. 28, 2014, which is a national phase entry ofPCT/US2011/058243 filed Oct. 28, 2011, the entire contents of all ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor tasks, such as grooming and maintaining property, are commonlyperformed using various outdoor power equipment that is configured forthe performance of corresponding specific tasks. For example, outdoorpower equipment, such as a riding lawn mower, chainsaw, hedge trimmer,string trimmer, and/or the like, may be used for cutting grass, hedges,trees, etc.

From time to time there may be a need to provide some information to anoperator of the outdoor power equipment while the operator is operatingthe equipment. However, communicating with the operator can be difficultconsidering that the environment is usually noisy and the operator isusually focused on the task at hand. Currently a piece of outdoor powerequipment may have one or two small gauges for providing limitedinformation to the operator. However, these gauges are often small,black-and-white, communicate very limited information, and are oftendifficult to see during operation due to their placement on theequipment, their size, and/or the environment. Furthermore, the operatoris usually so intently focused on operating the equipment and completingthe outdoor task that the operator will rarely notice the conventionalgauges and meters in time to identify an important issue.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

Accordingly, in order to improve operator satisfaction in connectionwith using outdoor power equipment, some example embodiments may providean indicator system for outdoor power equipment, such as for a ridinglawn mower. The indicator system may be useful for providing theoperator of the outdoor power equipment with a light of a specific color(or other method) that will alert or notify the outdoor power equipmentoperator of a specific condition occurring and communicate to theoperator whether the operator should look closer at an associateddisplay screen which is simultaneously displaying more detailed textualof graphical information about the specific condition.

In this regard, some embodiments of the invention provide an indicatorsystem for outdoor power equipment. The indicator system includes anelectrical system configured to determine an occurrence of a predefinedcondition. The indicator system further includes a display screen and anilluminating element corresponding to the display screen. In someembodiments, the illuminating element comprises a light source thatcompletely surrounds the perimeter of the display screen. The electricalsystem is further configured to, upon detection of an occurrence of aparticular predefined condition, illuminate the illuminating element ina particular manner (e.g., in a particular color) based on theparticular predefined condition. At the same time, the electrical systemis also configured to display visual information about the particularpredefined condition on the display screen.

For example, some embodiments of the invention provide a riding lawnmower having: (1) a cutting system comprising at least one blade forcutting grass; (2) a drive system comprising at least one wheel forpropelling the riding lawn mower; (3) an engine operably coupled to thecutting system and the drive system for powering the drive system andthe cutting system; (4) an operator station upon which an operator canride during operation of the riding lawn care vehicle; (5) an operatorcontrol system located proximate to the operator station and operablycoupled to the drive system and the cutting system; (6) a computersystem configured to detect an occurrence of a predefined conditionrelated to the operator or operation of the cutting system, drivesystem, or engine; and (7) an indicator system positioned proximate tothe operator station, the indicator system comprising an illuminatingelement and a display screen, where the illuminating element surroundsat least a portion of the perimeter of the display screen. In suchembodiments, the computer system is configured to, upon detection of anoccurrence of a particular predefined condition, illuminate theilluminating element in a particular manner based on the particularpredefined condition and display information about the particularpredefined condition on the display screen.

In some embodiments of the riding lawn mower, the illuminating elementis capable of lighting in a plurality of different colors, each colorbeing associated with a different predefined condition or type ofcondition. For example, the illuminating element may be configured toglow at least three colors, where a first color indicates a warningbeing displayed on the display screen that requires attention, a secondcolor indicates that there are no warnings, and a third color indicatesthat information of a neutral type is being displayed on the displayscreen.

Some embodiments of the riding lawn mower further include a memorydevice having information stored therein that pairs each of a pluralityof predefined conditions with a combination of: a manner of illuminatingthe illuminating element, and a textual or graphical message to bedisplayed on the display screen.

In some embodiments of the riding lawn mower, the operator controlsystem includes a steering assembly for steering the riding lawn carevehicle, and the indicator system is integrated into a portion of asteering assembly.

In some embodiments of the riding lawn mower, the predefined conditioncomprises a fault such and, in response to the fault occurring, theilluminating element illuminates a predetermined color associated withthe fault. In some instances the predefined condition comprises at leastone of: detecting if there is no operator in the operator station;detecting if fuel in a fuel tank has dropped below a predetermined levelindicating low fuel; detecting a service/check engine warning; detectinga low oil/oil pressure fault; detecting a tire pressure fault; detectinga engine heat warning; detecting a transmission heat warning; detectingthat RPM of a blade or the engine has passed a threshold; or detecting asteep incline fault.

In some embodiments of the riding lawn mower, the predefined conditioncomprises detecting an incoming communication. In response to thedetecting the incoming communication, the illuminating element may beconfigured to illuminate a predetermined color associated with incomingcommunications and the display screen may be configured to display atextual message regarding the incoming communication. In this regard,the riding lawn mower may further include a wireless communicationdevice configured to communicate with a mobile device, and the detectingof an incoming communication may include detecting that the mobiledevice is receiving at least one of: a cellular telephone call; anincoming email; a short range wireless communication call; a textmessage; a page; or a calendar reminder. The display screen may then beconfigured to display information about the sender of the incomingcommunication, such as a phone number, a name, or an icon, while theilluminating element is lit with a color that indicates an incomingcommunication.

Embodiments of the invention also provide a method of alerting anoperator of a riding lawn care vehicle, the method comprising: (1)monitoring the riding lawn care vehicle to determine if any predefinedtriggering conditions have occurred; (2) detecting that a particularpredefined triggering condition has occurred; (3) in response todetecting the occurrence of the particular predefined triggeringcondition, illuminating a periphery of a display screen in a firstpredetermined manner based on the particular predefined triggeringcondition or based on a type of predefined triggering condition thatincludes the particular predefined triggering condition; and (4)displaying text or graphics that provide more detail about theparticular predefined triggering condition on a display screen whileilluminating the periphery of the display screen in the firstpredetermined manner. The method may further include, in response to theparticular predefined triggering condition having been corrected oroverridden, illuminating an illuminating element of an indicator systemto a second predetermined color, wherein the second predetermined coloris different from the first predetermined color. The method of claim mayalso involve determining if the predefined triggering condition is analert that can be overridden, and, in response to detecting an overridebutton being activated or depressed, overriding the alert andilluminating an illuminating element of an indicator system to a secondpredetermined color, wherein the second predetermined color is differentfrom the first predetermined color.

Some example embodiments may improve the ability of operators and/orfleet managers to monitor various triggers, events and/or otherconditions regarding the operation of a riding lawn care vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein: FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a riding lawncare vehicle according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the riding lawn care vehicleaccording to an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates portions of an indicator system of a power equipmentdevice according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of a riding lawn care vehiclewith the indicator system of FIG. 2 according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates a block diagram of a system of a riding lawn carevehicle with the indicator system according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates a top view of a riding lawn care vehicle with theindicator system mounted to the steering assembly according to anexample embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of a riding lawn care vehicle with theindicator system mounted within the hood handle according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 5A illustrates a top view of a riding lawn care vehicle with anindicator system according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 5B illustrates a top view of a riding lawn care vehicle with anindicator system according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a back perspective view of a riding lawn care vehiclewith an indicator system according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a method of operation of theindicator system of the riding lawn care vehicle according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of a method of operation of theindicator system of the riding lawn care vehicle according to anotherexample embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a front view of a separate display screen of the indicatorsystem of a riding lawn care vehicle according to another exampleembodiment;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a front view of a separate display screen of the indicatorsystem of a riding lawn care vehicle according to another exampleembodiment;

FIG. 16 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment; and

FIG. 17 is a front view of the indicator system of a riding lawn carevehicle according to another example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allexample embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described andpictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to thescope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather,these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure willsatisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer tolike elements throughout.

Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is to be interpreted as alogical operator that results in true whenever one or more of itsoperands are true. Additionally, the term “lawn care” is meant to relateto any yard maintenance activity and need not specifically apply toactivities directly tied to grass, turf or sod care. As used herein,operable coupling should be understood to relate to direct or indirectconnection that, in either case, enables functional interconnection ofcomponents that are operably coupled to each other.

In an example embodiment, an outdoor power equipment device, such as ariding lawn mower, includes an indicator system. The indicator systemmay include an illumination element around the periphery of a displayscreen, where the illumination element lights-up in different mannersdepending on different conditions (e.g., events, triggers, conditions,or the like) of the outdoor power equipment device. For example, theillumination element may glow yellow to indicate that the outdoor powerequipment device is low on fuel, may glow red to indicate that theoutdoor power equipment device has certain operational faults that needto be addressed, and may flash blue to if the operator is receiving aphone call. Illumination of the periphery of the display screen and/orthe manner of illumination (e.g., the color, speed of flash, etc.) maydirect the operator's attention to the display screen which providesmore detail about the particular condition that prompted theillumination of the illumination element.

In one example embodiment, when the operator inserts the key into theignition, the illuminating element turns a predetermined color (e.g.,green) if the power equipment is ready to start, but turns a differentpredetermined color (e.g., red or yellow) if the power equipment can'tor shouldn't be started in its current condition. If the power equipmentis ready to start, the display screen may read “OK to start” or “ready”,but if the outdoor power equipment device is not ready to start, thedisplay screen may instruct the operator to fix a certain condition.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is applicable to anyoutdoor power equipment, such as a riding lawn care vehicle, a chainsaw,a string trimmer, or any other power equipment. However, for ease ofillustration and description, the figures and the related description ofthe present disclosure generally illustrate an embodiment where theoutdoor power equipment is a riding lawn care vehicle, such as a ridinglawn mower. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited toonly a riding lawn care vehicle, and is also applicable to other outdoorpower equipment, including chainsaws, string trimmers, hedge trimmers,and the like.

FIG. 1, which includes FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrates an example of ariding lawn care vehicle 10. The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may includean information panel 14 displaying operational information regarding theriding lawn care vehicle 10. As shown and described herein, the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 may be a riding lawn mower (e.g., a lawn tractor,front-mount riding lawn mower, zero-turn riding lawn mower, and/or thelike). However, other example embodiments of riding lawn care vehiclesmay be configured or otherwise equipped to handle snow removal, brushcutting, tilling or other lawn care-related activities.

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 andFIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the riding lawn care vehicle10. The riding lawn care vehicle may include a steering assembly 20(e.g., including a steering wheel, handle bars, or other steeringapparatus) functionally connected to wheels of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 to which steering inputs are provided (e.g., the front and/orrear wheels in various different embodiments) to allow the operator tosteer the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 may include a seat 30 that may be disposed at acenter, rear or front portion of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Theoperator may sit on the seat 30, which may be disposed to the rear ofthe steering assembly 20 to provide input for steering of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 via the steering assembly 20. A sensor may beincluded that detects whether or not an operator is currently sitting inthe seat 30. Such a sensor may be, for example, an electromechanicalswitch located within or just beneath the seat surface and communicablycoupled to a central computer, electrical system, or other controlsystem.

The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also include, or be configured tosupport attachment of, a cutting deck 40 having at least one cuttingblade mounted therein. In some cases, a height of the at least onecutting blade may be adjustable by an operator of the riding lawn carevehicle 10. The cutting deck 40 may be a fixed or removable attachmentin various different embodiments. Moreover, a location of the cuttingdeck 40 may vary in various alternative embodiments. For example, insome cases the cutting deck 40 may be positioned in front of the frontwheels 42, behind the rear wheels 44, or in between the front and rearwheels 42 and 44 (as shown in FIG. 1) to enable the operator to cutgrass using the at least one cutting blade when the at least one cuttingblade is rotated below the cutting deck 40. In some embodiments, thefront wheels 42 and/or the rear wheels 44 may have a shielding devicepositioned proximate thereto in order to prevent material picked up inthe wheels from being ejected toward the operator. When operating to cutgrass, the grass clippings may be captured by a collection system (e.g.,bagging attachment 12), mulched, or expelled from the cutting deck 40via either a side discharge or a rear discharge.

The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also include additional controlrelated components such as one or more speed controllers, cutting heightadjusters and/or the like.

Some of the controllers, such as the speed controllers, may be providedin the form of foot pedals that may sit proximate to a footrest 48(which may include a portion on both sides of the riding lawn carevehicle 10) to enable the operator to rest his or her feet thereon whileseated in the seat 20.

In the pictured example embodiment of FIG. 1, an engine 50 of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 is disposed substantially forward of a seatedoperator. However, in other example embodiments, the engine 50 could bein different positions such as below or behind the operator. In someembodiments, the engine 50 may be operably coupled to one or more of thewheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 in order to provide drivepower for the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, theengine 50 may be capable of powering two wheels, while in others, theengine 50 may power all four wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10.Moreover, in some cases, the engine 50 may manually or automaticallyshift between powering either two wheels or all four wheels of theriding lawn care vehicle 10. The engine 50 may be housed within a coverthat forms an engine compartment to protect engine 50 components andimprove the aesthetic appeal of the riding lawn care vehicle 10.

In an example embodiment, the engine compartment may be positionedproximate to and/or mate with portions of a steering assembly housing60. The steering assembly housing 60 may house components of thesteering assembly 20 to protect such components and improve theaesthetic appeal of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In someembodiments, a steering wheel 62 of the steering assembly 20 may extendfrom the steering assembly housing 60 and a steering column (not shown)may extend from the steering wheel 62 down through the steering assemblyhousing 60 to components that translate inputs at the steering wheel 62to the wheels to which steering inputs are provided.

In some embodiments, the steering assembly housing 60, the steeringwheel 62 and/or the fender 46 may include gauges, displays and/or otheruser interface components. As such, for example, user interfacecomponents may be provided to indicate or display information ornotifications to the operator regarding operational parameters relatedto the operation of the riding lawn care vehicle 10, parameters relatedto predefined alerts or events, or any other condition where theoperator should be alerted. For example, the information may relate toany of various aspects including parameters related to cutting deckoperation, engine operation, run time, work time, etc.

In an example embodiment, one or more these gauges, displays and/orother user interface components may include an indicator system 100mounted to the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The indicator system 100, anexample of which is shown in FIG. 2, may include an illumination element105, one or more buttons or indicator elements 125, 130, 135, and/or adisplay screen 110. Components of the indicator system 100 may be housedtogether in housing 120 and may be connected with processing circuitry.In an example embodiment, the housing 120 may include contacts via whichconnection may be made to power systems of the riding lawn care vehicle10 and/or via which connection may be made to a sensor network of theriding lawn care vehicle 10.

In one embodiment, the illuminating element 105 includes a light sourcethat surrounds a periphery of the display screen 110. For example, as isillustrated in FIG. 2, the illuminating element 105 may be a circular orsemi-circular light that completely surrounds the display screen 110located near the center of the circle or semi-circle.

In another embodiment, the illuminating element 105 may not completelysurround the display screen, and instead may be disposed about a portionof the display screen. In yet another embodiment, the illuminatingelement 105 surrounds or is disposed about at least a portion of one ormore buttons 125, 130 and/or the indicator element 135. For example, inan embodiment, the illuminating element 105 surrounds the buttons 125,130, the indicator element 135 and the display screen 110 as illustratedin FIG. 2. It should be understood that there may be multipleilluminating elements included with the indicator system 100 and thepresent disclosure should not be limited to only having a singleilluminating element 105. If multiple illuminating elements 105 areincluded, one or more of the plurality of illuminating elements 105 mayoperate independently from each other and may be disposed around (orsurround completely) the buttons, 125, 130, the indicator element 135,the display screen 110, any other elements, and/or any combinationthereof. In some embodiments, the illuminating element 105 may notsurround any element, and in one embodiment could be a light of anyshape proximate to one or more elements (e.g., buttons, display screen,etc.) or a stand-alone light placed on the riding lawn mower 10.

The light source of the illuminating element 105 may be light emittingdiodes (“LEDs”), a florescent light, an electro-luminescence (EL) light,backlighting systems, light tubes, and/or any other means for providinglight. In one embodiment, the illuminating element 105 is made up of aplurality of light sources, such as a series of LEDs, positioned in anarrow strip that surrounds the display screen 110. A transparent orsemi-transparent material may be placed of the series of LEDs so thatthe illuminating element 105 has the appearance of the solid consistentring of light around the perimeter of the display screen 110 and anyassociated buttons 125, 130.

As will be discussed in more depth later with regard to FIGS. 7-17, theilluminating element 105 is configured to glow in a predetermined manner(e.g., a predetermined color, steadily illuminated, graduallyilluminated, flashing at a predetermined interval, rate, or sequence,etc.) depending on the condition detected by the outdoor powerequipment's electrical system. For example, when a particular conditionis detected, the illuminating element 105 may illuminate as any one of aplurality of colors, such as green, red, blue, yellow, any other color,or any combination thereof, and the display screen 110 may display somemore detail about the particular condition that prompted theillumination of the illuminating element 105. Each color may beassociated with a different condition or type of condition. For example,the indicator may glow red whenever there's an immediate safety issuedetected, and the display screen 110 may, at the same time, present textabout the safety issue (e.g., “engine temp too high,” “tractor riding ontoo steep of an incline,” “no operator is detected,” etc.). In anotherexample, the riding lawn mower 10 may be configured to communicate orpair with the operator's mobile phone via a short range connection(e.g., Bluetooth® or the like), and the illuminating element 105 mayglow blue whenever the operator is receiving an incoming call on hiscellular telecommunications device, in which case the display screen 110may display the name or number of the person calling while theilluminating element 105 is glowing blue.

In still other embodiments, the illuminating element 105 may beconfigured to flash or otherwise change brightness levels based on theparticular type of condition. For example, the illuminating element 105may glow solid when communicating information that does not require anoperator response, but may flash when the operator needs to take somesort of immediate action. The speed of the flash may indicate theurgency of the information being communicated on the display.

In one embodiment, the operator can preset which manner of illumination(e.g., what colors) is associated with which alert or notification. Theoperator may also be able to set the brightness of the illuminatingelement 105. For example, the operator may adjust the illuminatingelement brightness into a day mode where the illuminating element 105 isbrighter than a night mode where the illuminating element 105 may bedimmer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the illuminating element isconfigured so that it gradually illuminates and/or fades when it lightsup, turns off, and/or changes colors. This gradual illuminating andfading provides may provide a more pleasant appearance for the operator.

As mentioned above, various conditions (e.g., triggers, events,conditions, states, faults, etc.) could cause the illuminating element105 to illuminate. Examples of predetermined conditions are generalfaults (e.g., low fuel, service engine interval expires, the blades needsharpening, low oil/oil pressure, tire pressure error, engine heatwarning, transmission heat warning, RPM too high or too low, blade speedtoo high or too low, parking brake engaged or disengaged, grasscollector full or clogged, etc.), safety faults (e.g., steep incline, nooperator detected, parking brake disengaged, child nearby,roll-over-protection not properly positioned, discharge shoot notproperly positioned, etc.), incoming electronic communications alerts(e.g., incoming phone call, incoming email/text message, incoming shortrange communications, etc.), or any other alerts/notifications (e.g.,weather alerts/notifications, internet alerts, GPS notifications, garagedoor open, etc.). The conditions could be predefined by the operator,the riding lawn care vehicle manufacturer, or some other entity.Whenever a condition occurs, the illuminating element 105 illuminates inany one of a plurality of colors providing an alert or notification tothe operator and the display simultaneously displays a visual message tothe operator providing more detail about the particular condition, aswill be discussed in more depth later with respect to FIGS. 7-17.

In one embodiment, the illuminating element 105 is configured to displaylight to the operator according to varying brightness, patterns ofillumination (e.g., flashing, blinking light patterns), gradualillumination or dimming (rather than a simple on/off), any other way topresent light to the operator, or any combination thereof. For example,an alert could be a red flashing light that blinks three times which mayindicate that the fuel tank is three quarters empty. As another example,an alert could be a gradual fading in and out of an orange light as theground underneath the riding lawn care vehicle becomes graduallysteeper. In other examples, the illuminating element 105 may be a redindicator light that could be a slow red flash for non-criticalfunctions (e.g., low on fuel or service engine) and a fast red flashingfor safety warnings or start sequence issues. There could also be acombination of colors used, such as an orange and red intermittentlyblinking alert, or that the left half of the illuminating element 105may glow green while the right half of the illuminating element 105 mayglow red which may indicate, for example, that a tire on the right halfof the riding lawn care vehicle 10 is low on air pressure.

In another embodiment, the illuminating element 105 may graduallyilluminate from one color to another color indicating one state toanother state, respectively. For example, at least a portion of theilluminating element 105 may start out as dark green indicating that thefuel tank is full, and as the fuel tank gradually is consumed duringoperation of the riding lawn care vehicle 10, the illuminated colorbecomes closer to dark red. As such, when the fuel tank is half empty,the color of the illuminating element 105 may be orange (i.e., halfgreen-half red), and so the operator knows approximately how much fuelhe/she is in the tank at any point in time based solely on the color ofthe illumination element 105. The operator will know that the closer tothe color red, the more empty the fuel tank is and the closer to thecolor green, the more fuel the tank may have.

It should be understood that the indicator system 100 and/or theilluminating element 105 could also present sounds or any other way togather the operator's attention according to some embodiments. In oneembodiment, the illuminating element 105 could present sounds instead ofpresenting a color light to the operator.

As mentioned above, the indicator system 100 may also include one ormore buttons, such as an override button 125, a mode select button 130,and/or any other type of button allowing for any other functionality.The override button 125 may allow for a user to override one or morealerts presented by the indicator system 100. For example, if an alertis presented where an override is allowed, such as a low fuel alert, theoperator may acknowledge such alert and remove the alert by depressingthe override button. This may change the illumination color from a faultcolor (such as red) back to a no-fault or “ready” mode color (such asgreen). There may be only certain events or conditions for which theoverride button 125 is allowed. For example, the override button 125 mayonly be allowed to override general faults and other non-safety alerts,such as low fuel, incoming call, service needed, low oil, other generalmaintenance notifications, alerts not related to operations of theriding lawn care vehicle (such as incoming call or weathernotifications), or any other alerts or notifications as may bepredefined from the manufacturer (or other entity).

Once an operator depresses the override button 125 where an override isallowed for the outstanding alert or notification, the operator may holdthe override down for a predetermined time period and, in responsethereto, the outstanding alert or notification is temporarily orpermanently removed such that the illumination element no longerdisplays the color associated with such outstanding alert ornotification. The indicator system 100 may then determine if any otheralerts or notifications are detected and may display any detected alertor notification other than the overridden alert or notification.According to one embodiment, the operator may be allowed to temporarilyoverride the outstanding

alert or notification and set a time for such overriding to expire. Thisallows the operator to not forget about the outstanding alert ornotification completely, such as if the operator wants to be reminded ofthe alert in a predetermined time in the future, when the operator turnsoff the engine or any other time in the future. The overridefunctionality of the override button 125 is discussed more later withregard to the methods 700, 1000 of FIGS. 7 and 10, respectively.

The override button 125 may also (or alternatively) have otherfunctionality, such as functioning as a reset button or an “enter”button. The reset functionality allows for an operator to reset theindicator system 100. This may be useful in case the operator wants toreboot the indicator system 100 or if the operator would like to resetcertain functions of the indicator system 100. The reset functionalitymay also be useful in a user interface to function as resetting certainvalues back to zero or some other number. For example, if the operatorwants to reset the tripometer to zero, the operator would hold the resetbutton down for a predetermined time while in the trip mode and thetripometer would reset back to zero. The reset button could also be usedin calibrations functions or other functions or features.

The “enter” functionality of the override button 125 may be used as aselection operator in cooperation with a user interface that may beemployed with the indicator system 100. For example, if the operator isscrolling through menus of a user interface of the indicator system 100,the operator can use the override button 125 as the button to selectwhich option the operator wishes to perform. The operator could also usethe override button 125 to acknowledge receipt of alerts. For example,if a message pops up on the display with an option to hit “OK,” theoperator can use the override button 125 to select the “OK” button.Other operations of the enter functionality of the override button 125are also possible.

Referring now to the mode select button 130, the mode select button 130allows for an operator to toggle what is displayed in the display screen110. Various modes that are possible include, but are not limited to,RPM mode, time mode, temperature mode, hour meter mode, trip time mode,and inclinometer mode. For RPM mode, the display screen 110 would showthe engine's revolutions per minute (“RPMs”) of the riding lawn carevehicle. For time mode, the display screen 110 presents the currenttime, which may be a connection to an atomic clock or an on-board clock.In temperature mode, the display screen 110 displays the currenttemperature received from a temperature sensor on the riding lawn carevehicle or from an internet site. In hour meter mode, the display screen110 shows how long the riding lawn care vehicle has been in operationover the life of the riding lawn care vehicle. In trip time mode, thedisplay screen 110 displays the amount of time that the riding lawn carevehicle has been operating in the current operating session. For theinclinometer mode, the display screen 110 presents how steep the currentincline that the riding lawn care vehicle is on. Other modes are alsopossible and may be toggled to active using the mode select button 130.

Other buttons may also be employed on the indicator system 100.Additionally, there may be other indicators other than the illuminationelement 105. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, an indicator element135 may provide to the operator an indication of one or more featuresthat are currently active. For example, according to one embodiment, theindicator element 135 could indicate that the riding lawn care vehicle10 is currently in reverse mow mode. The indicator element 135 couldalso provide an indication of other active features, such as if theheadlights are left on or if the engine is currently on. The indicatorelement 135 could further provide other information to the operator,such as if the riding lawn care vehicle is operating at an efficientrate, if a timer has expired, or any other preprogrammed information. Inone embodiment, if the riding lawn care vehicle is operating at anoptimum rate, the illuminating element 105 glows a first color, such asgreen, and the harder the riding lawn care vehicle 10 must work (or themore inefficient the riding lawn care vehicle operates) the more theilluminating element 105 glows a second color, such as red. Thus, if theriding lawn care vehicle 10 is operating at a medium efficiency, theilluminating element 105 would glow color that is a combination of 50%of the first color and 50% of the second color, such as orange.

The display screen 110 presents various textual information to theoperator, such as operational data (e.g., voltages, RPMs, trip timer,etc.), weather information, safety information, fault data, time/dateinformation, etc. For example, if the indicator system 100 is in RPMmode, the display screen 110 presents the current RPMs of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10. Also, the display screen can present variousstatus information of the indicator system 100, such as “READY,”“FAULT,” “ENGINE BRAKE FAULT,” “LOW FUEL,” “NO OPERATOR,” or “BLADESON.”

The display screen 110 may be a liquid crystal display (“LCD”), a plasmadisplay panel (“PDP”), an electroluminescence (“EL”) display, afluorescent display (“VFD”), light emitting diode (“LED”) display, orany other display device. In one embodiment, the display screen 110 canbe a touchscreen to allow an operator to operate the screen by the touchof the finger/stylus on the screen, and in such embodiment, any buttonscan be buttons displayed by software and activated by touching thedisplay screen 110. The display screen may be connected with circuitrywith the indicator system 10 so that information discussed herein can bedisplayed on the display screen 110.

In one embodiment, the display screen 110 is mounted within the housing120. It should be understood, however, that the display screen 110 neednot be located within the housing 120 of the indicator system 100, and,as will be described later, one embodiment is directed to having adisplay screen located separate from the housing and remote from theilluminating element 105. For example, the display screen 110 could belocated on or adjacent to the operator's seat while the illuminatingelement 105 may be located in the dash 140 of the riding lawn carevehicle 10. In another embodiment, the indicator system 100 may have twoor more display screens—one within the housing 120 and at least anotherdisplay located remotely from the housing 120, such as being located onthe fender 46 of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Embodiments ofseparate display are discussed in more depth below with regard to FIGS.5-6 and 13-15.

FIGS. 3A and 4A illustrate an example embodiment of the riding lawn carevehicle

10 with the indicator system 100 installed on a portion of the steeringassembly housing 60 that is forward of the steering wheel 62. FIG. 3illustrates the riding lawn mower of FIG. 1 with the indicator system100 located on the dash 140 and installed on the steering assemblyhousing 60. FIG. 4A illustrates a top view of the riding lawn carevehicle of FIG. 3. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the riding lawncare vehicle 10 includes the indicator system 100 of FIG. 2 and theindicator system 100 is positioned forward of the steering wheel 62 tobe in plain view of the operator while the operator is sitting in theseat 30.

While FIGS. 3A and 4A illustrate that the indicator system 100 isinstalled on the dash 140 of the steering assembly housing 60, it shouldbe appreciated that the indicator system 100 could alternatively bepositioned at any of a plurality of other locations on the riding lawncare vehicle 10. For example, as shown in the illustrative embodiment ofFIG. 4B, the indicator system 100 may be disposed under or within aportion 402 of the hood where the hood handle 404 is disposed. Thisconfiguration of FIG. 4B allows the indicator system 100 to be at leastpartially shielded from direct sunlight by the hood handle 404 and alsobe substantially visible without visual obstruction from the steeringwheel 62 while an operator is sitting in the seat 30 of the riding lawncare vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the hood handle 404 may be used toremove the housing 406 from around the engine so that the engine can beaccessed. The hood handle 406 may thus operate to be configured to belifted vertically and also be a shield for the indicator system 100.Since the indicator system 100 is disposed in the hood handle, asillustrated in FIG. 4B, the indicator system 406 is within the eyesightof the operator while the operator is in the operator's seat 30,especially if the operator is looking forward over the front of theriding lawn mower 10.

According to other embodiments, the indicator system 100 may be disposedon other types of riding lawn mowers and/or at other positions. Forexample, FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate the indicator system 100 being disposedof a riding lawn mower 500 that does not have the engine disposed infront of the steering column. In such riding lawn mower, space to mountthe indicator display may be more limited than the riding lawn carevehicle 10 of FIGS. 3, 4A and 4B. Nonetheless, the indicator system 100can be disposed in various locations of the riding lawn mower 500 ofFIGS. 5A-5B. For example, FIG. 5A illustrates the indicator system 100being disposed forward of the steering wheel 62 on a steering assemblyhousing 60 of a riding lawn mower 500. According to another exampleembodiment, the indicator system 100 could be positioned on the steeringwheel 62 itself (e.g., at a center 502 portion of the steering wheel 62or otherwise positioned to fit within the circumference of the steeringwheel 62 as shown in FIG. 5B). The indicator system 100 can beintegrated into the steering wheel 62 or be removable from the steeringwheel 62 according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3B illustrates a block diagram of a riding lawn care vehicle withan indicator system 100 having a wireless interface. The indicatorsystem 100 may communicate with a computer system 310 (or otherelectrical system such as an application-specific integrated circuit orthe like) that, along with a system of sensors and/or other electronics,determines the alerts and/or other data to be presented by the indicatorsystem 100.

According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B, the computer system310 may be located on a portion of the chassis or frame such that thecomputer system 310 is not proximate to the indicator system 100. Insuch embodiment, the computer system 310 may communicate wirelessly withthe indicator system 100. The computer system 310 may receive data fromvarious components 305 (e.g., engine, ignition, tires, fuel tank, oil,an on-board accelerometer to determine incline levels, brakes, seat,cutting deck components, wireless transceiver 302 and/or othercomponents) via sensors 320 or other devices. The computer system 310includes a processor 312 and memory 314 which is configured tocommunicate with a module for monitoring conditions 316 and a module forreceiving data 318. The module for receiving data 318 may receive datafrom the sensors 320 or from a wireless transceiver 302. With such data,the module for monitoring conditions 316 determines if an alert shouldbe triggered based on predetermined thresholds and determines the typeof alert, including the manner by which to illuminate the illuminatingelement and the text or other visual graphic to display on the display

screen. These modules are stored on any computer-readable medium, suchas memory 714 or memory (not shown) of the indicator system 100.

In one embodiment, the memory 714 includes a table that correlates eachtype of condition with a particular illumination manner for theilluminating element and a particular graphic for the display screen. Insuch an embodiment, when the receiving data module 318 receivesinformation from a sensor about a change in a condition, the conditionmonitoring module 316 looks in the memory 714 to determine whether thechange in condition warrants a change in the indicator system 100 and,if so, specifically how the illuminating element 105 should beilluminated and what text or symbol should be displayed on the displayscreen 110. In some embodiments, there may be a hierarchy of conditionsthat also may affect how the condition is displayed via the indicatorsystem 100. For example, if there is a particularly urgent or importantcondition detected, then the condition may be presented via theindicator system 100 and other conditions might not be presented untilthe particularly urgent or important condition is cleared. Such ahierarchy or set of display rules may also be stored in the memory 714.

If an alert is generated and/or if data should be displayed, thecomputer system 310 may relay the alert information and/or data to theindicator system from a general wireless transceiver 302 to theindicator system's wireless transceiver 300. The indicator system'swireless transceiver 300 may then send such data to the indicatorsystem's processor 301 which would, in turn, process the alertinformation and/or other data to various components of the indicatorsystem 100, such as the illuminating element 105, the display screen110, or other components 303. It should be understood that the wirelesstransceiver 302 may be mounted at any location on the riding lawn carevehicle 10, such as in the steering assembly housing 60, on a portion ofthe frame of the riding lawn care vehicle 10, or any other location orcomponent of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Additionally, it should benoted that the wireless transceiver 302 may pair and communicate with anelectronic communications device, such as a cellular phone,computer/laptop/tablet, or other device which has wirelesscommunications capabilities, via a short range network (e.g.,Bluetooth®). Moreover, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 may have otherwireless transceiver, such as a short range transceiver 324, aGPS/internet/cellular transceiver 326, etc. The short range transceiver324 communicates with devices over a short range network such as two waypaging “walkie-talkie” type devices. The GPS/internet/cellulartransceiver 326 may be a transceiver that communicates with a GPSsatellite, an internet satellite or cellular towers to receive GPS data,internet information, or cellular data, respectively. It should beunderstood that the wireless transceivers described herein may be anydevice capable of transmitting and/or receiving at least short rangewireless signals, such as a Bluetooth® transceiver, radio frequencytransmitter, and/or any other transmitter or receiver.

It should be understood that the indicator system may have a wiredinterface, as opposed to the wireless interface of FIG. 3B. In suchcase, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 would have wiring that connectsthe indicator system 100 with the computer system 310 and may alsoconnect the wireless transceiver with the computer system 310. Thewiring may be run along the chassis or frame from the computer system310 through a hinge portion that allows the hood 52 to rotate relativeto the chassis or frame. In such embodiment, the wiring may be connectedon the bottom of the upper wall so as to be hidden from an operator. Thewiring connects various components of the riding lawn care vehicle to abattery 301, the computer system 310 and/or other circuitry. As such thebattery 301 may be connected to any element which may require electricalenergy to operate. Additionally, the wiring 350 may connect any othercomponents of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 and should not be limitedto connecting the indicator system 100 with the computer system 310.

Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5B, the indicator system 100may further include a display screen 510 that is separate from theilluminating element 105. The separate display screen 510 may be theonly display screen of the indicator system 100 or be in addition to thepreviously-discussed display screen 110. The separate display screen 510is illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5B as mounted to the left and right fenders46, respectively, of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. However, theseparate display screen 510 can be located at any other location on theriding lawn mower 500, such as on the seat, on a portion of the footrest, or any other location where an operator can view the displayscreen when seated.

The separate display screen 510 may be connected with circuitry (or viaa wireless connection) that is also connected with the illuminatingelement 105 such that when the illuminating element 105 is providing analert or notification to the operator, the operator may direct hisattention to the separate display screen 510 which may provide moredetail about the alert or notification. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 5B, when a low fuel alert occurs, the illuminating element 105illuminates as a predetermined color, e.g., red, and the separatedisplay screen 510 displays text indicating that that the vehicle has“Low Fuel.” It should be understood that this status information mayalso (or in lieu of) be displayed by the display screen 110 that isimmediately proximate to the illuminating element 105.

FIG. 6 illustrates a riding lawn mower with an indicator system 600according to another embodiment. The indicator system 600 includesilluminating elements 605 and a display screen 610. The illuminatingelements 605 light-up a predetermined color dependent on the type ofcondition occurring. At the same time that the illuminating elements 605are illuminated in a particular manner, the display screen 610 mayprovide more details about the current condition or event that promptedthe illumination of the illuminating elements 605 in that particularmanner. This allows a riding lawn mower 600 with limited space aroundthe steering controls to direct the user's attention to a display screen610 mounted to another area of the riding lawn mower 600.

FIG. 7 is a block schematic diagram of a method 700 of operation of theindicator system 100 according to various embodiments. In block 702, anoperator of a riding lawn care vehicle desires to start the engine of ariding lawn care vehicle. The engine of the riding lawn care vehicle 10may be started by using a key and an ignition. The ignition of theriding lawn care vehicle 10 may have certain positions that the key canbe turned to once the key is inserted therein. For example, if theoperator wants to power the headlights of the riding lawn care vehicle10, the operator inserts the key into the ignition and turns the key toa certain amount until such position is reached. If the operator wouldcontinue to turn the key, the key would then be in the crankingposition, whereby the engine would be started. Thus, the key can beturned to certain positions in the ignition to allow certain modes orfunctions, such as a “ready” mode for powering certain electricalcomponents of the riding lawn care vehicle 10, a “cranking” mode forcranking the engine, and the like.

Referring back to block 702, the operator may begin the engine startingprocess of the riding lawn care vehicle by first placing the riding lawncare vehicle into “ready” mode, as shown in block 704. In oneembodiment, this can be done buy the operator inserting the key into theignition and turning key to an “on” or “ready” position. In anotherembodiment, the riding lawn care vehicle can be placed in “ready” modemerely by inserting the key or by taking some other action. As brieflymentioned above, such a “ready” mode does not start the engine of theriding lawn care vehicle but does “wake up” certain electricalcomponents such that electricity is supplied to certain parts of theriding lawn care vehicle and certain diagnostics are performed. In oneembodiment, the key is turned such that electricity is supplied to adiagnostic system and other parts of the riding lawn care vehicle sothat the diagnostic system can perform diagnostic tests on the ridinglawn care vehicle to determine any faults that should or must becorrected prior to starting the engine. Some other parts of the ridinglawn care vehicle may also be powered during the “ready” mode, such as awireless short range transceiver (e.g., a Bluetooth® transceiver), a GPStransceiver, any other transceivers, and/or any other element (otherthan the engine) which works with the indicator system 100.

In block 706, a determination may be made as to whether any startingfaults have occurred. Examples of starting faults may include the brakesnot being engaged, if the operator has not been detected, or if theblades are on. Other starting faults may include low fuel, service/checkengine warning, sharpen blades fault, low oil/oil pressure fault, tirepressure fault, engine heat warnings, transmission heat warnings, steepincline fault, no operator fault, parking brake not engaged,transmission not in neutral, brake not engaged, safety devices notengaged, cutting element too loose, operator not qualified to operatemachine, battery too low, implement not connected properly, or any otherfaults or alerts. The starting fault determination may be performed byvarious diagnostics and sensors via the diagnostic system, such asdetermining if the blades are on, if the brake is engaged, or any otherfaults that may be generated at start up. For example, if the operatoris determined to not be in his seat by the diagnostic system checking asensor in the base of the seat, then a starting fault may have occurredand the method 700 may proceed to block 712.

If no starting faults have been determined to have occurred, the method700 may continue to block 710, where the illuminating elementilluminates as a first predetermined color (e.g., green) indicating thatthe riding lawn care vehicle is ready to be cranked. Such illuminationmay occur as a slow (e.g., 2 seconds) fade in of colored illuminationfrom off to on. Additionally, the display screen 110 may display textsuch as “READY” providing further confirmation that no starting faultsare outstanding. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates that the illuminatingelement 105 is lit up a first predetermined color relating to “readymode” (e.g., green) and displays “READY” indicating the riding lawn carevehicle is ready to be cranked. At this point, the operator is allowedto crank the riding lawn care vehicle by further turning the key in theignition to the cranking position. Once the engine has been cranked thedisplay screen readout may automatically change from “READY” to whateverpredetermined mode (e.g., RPM mode, temperature mode, time mode, etc.)was selected for the display screen 110 to display.

On the other hand, if starting faults have been determined to haveoccurred in block 708, the method 700 may proceed to block 712 where thestarting fault status is displayed in text on the display screen 110 andthe illuminating element 105 illuminates a second predetermined color(e.g., red) providing an indication to the operator that a start faulthas occurred, as was discussed above with regard to FIG. 2. Asillustrated in FIG. 9, the illuminating element 105 is lit up as apredetermined color for starting faults (e.g., red) and exemplary textis presented in the display screen 110 as “BLADES ON” indicating thatthe detected starting fault relates to the blades being on and as such,the riding lawn mower cannot be cranked.

Referring back to FIG. 7, in block 714, a determination is made as towhether the generated start fault can be overridden. This determinationmay be made by the indicator system 100 accessing pre-stored informationindicating which faults may be overridden and which faults may not beoverridden. The manufacturer or other entity (e.g., the operator) maypredetermine and preset which faults can be overridden.

If the generated start fault cannot be overridden, the method 700 maycontinue to block 716; otherwise, the method 700 may proceed to block715 where a determination is made as to whether the override button 125has been depressed (or activated). If the override button 125 has beendepressed (or activated), then the method 700 may proceed to block 718;otherwise, if the override button 125 has not been depressed, then themethod may continue to block 716.

In block 716, the riding lawn care vehicle is monitored to detect if anyaction has been performed to address or correct the issue, or if theissue has been self-corrected. Any action may be detected, such aswhether the action be a corrective action performed by an operator (orother entity), whether the issue has self-corrected, or the like. Forexample, if the starting fault relates to the operator not being in herseat, then the action of an operator taking the seat and thus, sensingthe operator being in the seat will be detected as an action thatcorrects the starting fault. In another example, if the enginetemperature was too high for starting, the process of the engine coolingdown after a predetermined time may address or correct the startingfault.

In block 718, if the issue or starting fault has not been adequatelyaddressed or corrected from block 718, the method 700 may proceed backto block 712 where the illuminating element remains lit indicating astarting fault is still outstanding. However, if the issue or startingfault has been adequately addressed or corrected, the method 700 mayreturn to block 706 where diagnostic tests are performed again todetermine if any other starting fault(s) exists. Alternatively, ifmultiple faults were previously detected in block 706, then the method700 may not need to perform diagnostic tests again and instead mayhandle each detected fault sequentially. If all faults have beenaddressed the method 700 would return to block 710 where the indicatorsystem 100 returns to ready mode and thus, the illuminating element 105illuminates as green or other positive color indicating the system isready to be cranked.

FIG. 10 is a block schematic diagram of a method 1000 of operation ofthe indicator system 100 according to various embodiments. In theillustrated embodiment of FIG. 10, the method 1000 relates to operationsof the indicator system 100 while the riding lawn care vehicle is inoperation. The method 1000 of FIG. 10 could occur directly in responseto the method 700 of FIG. 7 in response to the riding lawn care vehicle10 being cranked and as such, the lawn care vehicle being in operation.

In block 1002, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 is currently inoperation. In one embodiment, the method 1000 may be equally operable ifthe riding lawn care vehicle 10 is not currently in operation but isidle or the engine is not running. Regardless, in block 1004, theilluminating element 105 may illuminate as green (or other color)indicating that there are no predetermined conditions (e.g., generalfaults) currently outstanding (i.e., no conditions are currentlyoccurring or have not been adequately addressed or corrected). Forexample, if there are no predetermined conditions currently occurring orif an override button has been depressed (or activated), then nopredetermined conditions (e.g., general faults) currently outstanding.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the indicator system 100 where nopredetermined conditions are currently outstanding. It is noted that inFIG. 11, the illuminating element 105 is glowing the same color as is inFIG. 8 indicating a “READY” mode. However, in FIG. 11, the displayscreen 110 automatically presents data (e.g., “3600 RPM”) relating tocurrent operations of the riding lawn care vehicle in FIG. 11 since theriding lawn care vehicle is in operation. Such presentation may occurautomatically in response to the riding lawn care vehicle being cranked(and thus, block 1004 of FIG. 10 could proceed in response to block 710of FIG. 7 occurring).

In block 1006, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 is monitored to determineif any predetermined conditions are outstanding. Examples ofpredetermined conditions are general faults (e.g., low fuel, serviceengine intervals, sharpen blades, low oil/oil pressure, tire pressure,engine heat warning, transmission heat warning, oil temperature toohigh, RPM too high or low, hood open, mechanical or electrical failure,blades loose, implement not connected properly, etc.), safety faults(e.g., steep incline, no operator, operator not qualified, obstructionahead, child nearby, safety device not engaged, etc.), incoming callalerts (e.g., incoming phonecall, incoming short range communications,etc.), and/or any other alerts (e.g., weather alerts, internet alerts,garage door open, ambient temperature, oil temperature, RPM, time, hoursin use, fuel level, PTO engaged, flat tire, etc.). The predeterminedconditions could be predetermined or predefined by the operator, theriding lawn care vehicle manufacturer, and/or some other entity. As waspreviously discussed with regard to FIG. 2 and as will be discussed morebelow with respect to block 1012, whenever a predetermined conditionoccurs, the illuminating element 105 illuminates in one of a pluralityof colors providing an alert to the operator.

In blocks 1008 and 1010, the riding lawn care vehicle 10 determineswhich predetermined conditions have occurred, if any. Any predeterminedconditions can be determined to have occurred by circuitry of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10, such as an alert monitoring system that may beinstalled on the riding lawn care vehicle.

In response to one or more predetermined conditions occurring, themethod 1000 may continue to block 1012 where the condition status may bedisplayed in text on a display screen and the illumination element maybe illuminated as a predetermined color (red, blue or other color)associated with the particular alert providing an indication to theoperator that there is an alert. Additionally, the color of such alertmay provide an indication to the user as to what the exact alert iswithout the operator having to investigate what the alert is.

Nonetheless, as previously discussed, the outstanding alert provides avisual indication that a predetermined condition has occurred and thatthe user may be required to act to address the alert. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 12, if the alert is a general alert, such as a steepincline, the indicator system 100 may display the illuminating element105 as red, which is the same color presented in FIG. 9. Notably, thedisplay screen 110 of FIG. 12 does not indicate that an alert hasoccurred and only the illuminating element provides an indication thatan alert has occurred. In one embodiment, the indicator system 100 ofFIG. 12 may have a separate display 510 similar to that of FIG. 5 orFIG. 6, which is installed at a location remote from the illuminatingelement 105, such as on the fender 46 of the riding lawn care vehicle,on the armrest of an operator's seat or any other location on the ridinglawn care vehicle 10. In such situation where the display screen 510 isremote from the illuminating element 105, the display screen can displaydetailed text about the alert, as is shown in FIG. 13. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 13, the separate display screen 510 may present moredetail about the alert, such as presenting text reciting “WARNING!RIDING ON TOO STEEP OF AN INCLINE.” The separate display screen may also(or alternatively) provide additional details about the alert, such asproviding a reference to where the operator could find more informationabout the alert (e.g., “SEE MANUAL AT SECTION 1.2.3 FOR MOREINFORMATION”), provide information on how to correct the alert, orprovide other instructions to the operator. It should be understood thatthis information could also (or alternatively) be display on the displayscreen 110 proximate to the illuminating element 105.

It should also be understood that the separate display 510 need not bemounted on the riding lawn care vehicle, but could alternatively be thedisplay screen of the operator's telecommunications device (e.g., theoperator's smartphone, the operator's tablet, etc.). In such situation,the display screen 510 would communicate alerts and other informationwirelessly through an interface of the indicator system 100.

As another example illustrated in FIG. 14, the operator could receive anelectronic communications (e.g., a cellular telephone call, short rangecommunications call, page notification, email, SMS or MMS message,calendar reminder, etc.) and the indicator system 100 detect suchelectronic call or message via a short range communication system (e.g.,Bluetooth®). In response to detecting such incoming electroniccommunications, the indicator system 100 would instruct the illuminatingelement 105 to light up a predetermined color associated with anelectronic communications, such as blue. This predetermined color for anincoming call alert may be different than the color associated with afault in operating the riding lawn care vehicle (e.g., green) anddifferent from the color indicating the lawn care vehicle has nooutstanding faults and/or other conditions (e.g., red). This concept isillustrated in FIG. 14, which is shown displaying a color different thanFIGS. 8-9 and 11-12. If the operator answers the electroniccommunications, the riding lawn car vehicle may be configured to beturned off as the riding lawn care vehicle may be too noisy for aphonecall or for safety concerns so that the operator is not readingemail while operating power equipment.

Also, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the display screen 110 may presentinformation about the alert, such as “INCOMING CALL” in the even thatthe alert is an incoming call. This may especially be useful if a singlecolor relates to a plurality of alerts. In this regard, the illuminatingelement 105 can be a method of describing the alert in a generalcategory sense and the display screen 110 further narrow what the actualalert relates to.

In some embodiments, the incoming call could be a telephone call or ashort range call. In the event that the call is a short range call, theoperator may receive a call from a handheld device within a proximaterange such as 100-200 yards. For example, if a caller has a short rangewireless communications device and the operator of the riding lawn carevehicle has a receiver of the short range wireless communicationssystem, the caller can call and the operator of the riding lawn carevehicle would be notified of a call via the indicator system 100 sincethe indicator system 100 would be paired with the operator's receiver.

Additionally, if the operator is receiving an electronic communications,the display screen 110 and/or the separate display 510 may provide moredetail about the incoming communications. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 15, a separate display screen 510 may present an alert indicatingthat a telephone call is incoming and present more detail about theincoming call, such as the phone number.

Other embodiments of the indicator system 100 are illustrated in FIGS.16-17. It should be understood that the display screen 110 can beconfigured to provide an additional notification of an alert in theevent that a person is color blind. For example, as shown in FIG. 16,the display screen may display “ALERT,” in addition to the illuminatingelement 105 glowing a predetermined color. In FIG. 17, the displayscreen 110 may go further and display what the actual alert relates to,such as displaying “STEEP HILL” if the alert relates to a steep incline.

Referring back to FIG. 10, in block 1014, a determination is made as towhether an override is allowed for the predetermined conditionoccurring. Examples of conditions where an override may be allowed aregeneral faults, such as low fuel or sharpen blades where the user maystill safely operate the riding lawn care vehicle 10. If override isallowed, the method 100 may proceed to block 1015 where it is determinedif the override button 125 has been selected. If so, the methodcontinues to block 1008 to determine if any conditions are outstanding.If override is not allowed, the method may continue to block 1016.

In block 1016, the method 1000 may detect any actions to address orcorrect the issue underlying the condition. For example, if thecondition is low fuel, the user may add fuel to correct the low fuelissue. If the condition is an incoming phonecall, the user may answerthe phonecall thereby addressing the incoming call.

A determination is made according to block 1018 as to whether the issuehas been adequately addressed or corrected. If so, the method maycontinue to block 1008 where it is determined whether any otherconditions are outstanding.

In some embodiments, the indicator system 100 may be placed into “sleepmode” if there is no operator present and/or if the riding lawn carevehicle has been idle or non-operating for a predetermined time. Thiswill ensure that the indicator system 100 will not unnecessarily drainthe battery while the indicator system 100 while the riding lawn carevehicle is not in operation or if the operator is not available toreceive the alerts or notifications.

It should be understood that various other alerts and notifications maybe realized with the indicator system 100. In one embodiment, theindicator system 100 could have one or more transceivers to communicatewirelessly. For example, a radio or satellite transceiver could beincluded with the indicator system 100 or part of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 to communicate with a cellular tower and/or a satellite whichis connected with internet servers. Such communications could providethe indicator system 100 with various alerts, such as EmergencyBroadcasting System alerts, weather notifications (e.g., whether athunderstorm is imminent), breaking news feeds, or any other informationthat can be transmitted through the Internet.

As another embodiment, the indicator system 100 can include atransceiver that would operate the operator's garage door the same asthe garage door's remote control. The indicator system 100 may indicateto the operator whether the garage door is open or closed and the garagedoor remote transceiver would transmit a radio signal to open the garagedoor in response to the operator sending a signal from the garage doortransceiver to the garage door system to open the garage door.

Elements of embodiments of the present invention, such as method 800 ofFIG. 8, is embodied in hardware and/or software as a computer programcode that may include firmware, resident software, microcode or thelike. Additionally, elements of the invention take the form of acomputer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readablestorage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program codeembodied in a medium for use by or in connection with a system. Examplesof such a medium are illustrated in FIG. 8 as medium 714 or as a memory(not shown) of the indicator system 100. A computer-usable or readablemedium is any medium that contains, stores, communicates or transportsthe program for use by or in connection with a system. The medium, forexample, is an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infraredor semiconductor system or the like.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the methods of thepresent invention, such as methods 700 and 1000, may be embodied as amethod (including, for example, a computer-implemented process, and/orany other process), apparatus (including, for example, a system,machine, device, computer program product, and/or the like), or acombination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the methods ofthe present invention may take the form of an entirely hardwareembodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware,resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combiningsoftware and hardware aspects that may generally be referred to hereinas a “system.” Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention maytake the form of a computer program product on a computer-readablemedium having computer-executable program code embodied in the medium.

Any suitable transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium maybe utilized in methods 700 and 1000. The computer readable medium maybe, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, ordevice. More specific examples of the computer readable medium include,but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection havingone or more wires; a tangible storage medium such as a portable computerdiskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory(ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flashmemory), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical ormagnetic storage device.

In the context of this document, a computer readable medium may be anymedium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport the programfor use by or in connection with the instruction execution system,apparatus, or device. The computer usable program code may betransmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited tothe Internet, wireline, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (RF)signals, or other mediums.

Computer-executable program code for carrying out operations ofembodiments of the present invention may be written in an objectoriented, scripted or unscripted programming language such as Java,Perl, Smalltalk, C++, or the like. However, the computer program codefor carrying out operations of embodiments of the present invention mayalso be written in conventional procedural programming languages, suchas the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

Embodiments of the present invention are described above with referenceto flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products. It will be understood thateach block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and/orcombinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or blockdiagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable program codeportions. These computer-executable program code portions may beprovided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purposecomputer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce aparticular machine, such that the code portions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer-executable program code portions may also be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the code portions stored in the computer readablememory produce an article of manufacture including instructionmechanisms which implement the function/act specified in the flowchartand/or block diagram block(s).

The computer-executable program code may also be loaded onto a computeror other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series ofoperational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmableapparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the codeportions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatusprovide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in theflowchart and/or block diagram block(s). Alternatively, computer programimplemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or humanimplemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of theinvention.

As the phrase is used herein, a processor may be “configured to” performa certain function in a variety of ways, including, for example, byhaving one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function byexecuting particular computer-executable program code embodied incomputer-readable medium, and/or by having one or moreapplication-specific circuits perform the function.

Embodiments of the present invention are described above with referenceto flowcharts and/or block diagrams. It will be understood that steps ofthe processes described herein may be performed in orders different thanthose illustrated in the flowcharts. In other words, the processesrepresented by the blocks of a flowchart may, in some embodiments, be inperformed in an order other that the order illustrated, may be combinedor divided, or may be performed simultaneously. It will also beunderstood that the blocks of the block diagrams illustrated, in someembodiments, merely conceptual delineations between systems and one ormore of the systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams may becombined or share hardware and/or software with another one or more ofthe systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams. Likewise, adevice, system, apparatus, and/or the like may be made up of one or moredevices, systems, apparatuses, and/or the like. For example, where aprocessor is illustrated or described herein, the processor may be madeup of a plurality of microprocessors or other processing devices whichmay or may not be coupled to one another. Likewise, where a memory isillustrated or described herein, the memory may be made up of aplurality of memory devices which may or may not be coupled to oneanother.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certainexemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scopeof the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions toproblems are described herein, it should be appreciated that suchadvantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some exampleembodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, anyadvantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thoughtof as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or tothat which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

That which is claimed:
 1. A lawn care vehicle comprising: a computersystem configured to determine an occurrence of a predefined conditionassociated with operation of the lawn care vehicle; and an indicatorsystem operably coupled to the computer system, the indicator systemcomprising an illuminating element and a display screen, wherein theilluminating element is located adjacent to the display screen, whereinthe illuminating element is configured to illuminate in at least one ofa first color or a second color, wherein the computer system isconfigured to, upon detection of the occurrence of the predefinedcondition, display information about the predefined condition detectedon the display screen and illuminate the illuminating element, whereinthe illuminating element illuminates in the first color if thepredefined condition is a warning condition, and wherein theilluminating element illuminates in the second color if the predefinedcondition is a neutral condition.
 2. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1,wherein the illuminating element is further configured to illuminate ina third color, and wherein the illuminating element illuminates in thethird color if no predefined condition is detected.
 3. The lawn carevehicle of claim 2, wherein the first color, the second color, and thethird color are different colors.
 4. The lawn care vehicle of claim 2,wherein the illuminating element is configured to illuminate in thethird color at least once before the detection of the occurrence of thepredefined condition.
 5. The lawn care vehicle of claim 2, wherein inresponse to the lawn care vehicle being ready to start, the illuminatingelement is configured to illuminate in the third color at least oncebefore the detection of the occurrence of the predefined condition. 6.The lawn care vehicle of claim 2, wherein upon insertion of a key intoan ignition of the lawn care vehicle, the illuminating element isconfigured to illuminate in the third color at least once before thedetection of the occurrence of the predefined condition.
 7. The lawncare vehicle of claim 2, wherein the lawn care vehicle further comprisesan override button selectable by an operator of the lawn care vehicle,wherein the override button, upon selection by the operator, isconfigured to override the predefined condition, and wherein in responseto the override of the predefined condition, the illuminating element isconfigured to illuminate in the third color.
 8. The lawn care vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein the warning condition is a fault relating to operationof the lawn care vehicle, the fault comprising at least one of:detecting if there is no operator in an operator station; detecting iffuel in a fuel tank has dropped below a predetermined level indicatinglow fuel; detecting a service/check engine warning; detecting a lowoil/oil pressure fault; detecting a tire pressure fault; detecting anengine heat warning; detecting a transmission heat warning; detectingthat RPM of a blade or an engine has passed a threshold; or detecting asteep incline fault.
 9. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein theneutral condition comprises detecting an incoming communication from amobile device, the incoming communication comprising a cellulartelephone call, an incoming email, a text message, a short rangewireless communication call, a page, or a calendar reminder.
 10. Thelawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the computer system is configuredto, upon detection of the occurrence of the predefined condition,display information about the predefined condition detected on thedisplay screen and simultaneously illuminate the illuminating element.11. The lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first color is red,the second color is blue, and the third color is green.
 12. An indicatorsystem for a lawn care vehicle, the indicator system comprising: anelectrical system configured to determine an occurrence of a predefinedcondition associated with operation of the lawn care vehicle; anilluminating element; and a display screen, wherein the illuminatingelement is located adjacent to the display screen, wherein theilluminating element is configured to illuminate in at least one of afirst color or a second color, wherein the electrical system isconfigured to, upon detection of the occurrence of the predefinedcondition, display information about the predefined condition detectedon the display screen and illuminate the illuminating element, whereinthe illuminating element illuminates in the first color if thepredefined condition is a warning condition, and wherein theilluminating element illuminates in the second color if the predefinedcondition is a neutral condition.
 13. The indicator system of claim 12,wherein the illuminating element is further configured to illuminate ina third color, and wherein the illuminating element illuminates in thethird color if no predefined condition is detected.
 14. The indicatorsystem of claim 13, wherein the first color, the second color, and thethird color are different colors.
 15. The indicator system of claim 13,wherein the illuminating element is configured to illuminate in thethird color at least once before the detection of the occurrence of thepredefined condition.
 16. The indicator system of claim 13, wherein inresponse to the lawn care vehicle being ready to start, the illuminatingelement is configured to illuminate in the third color at least oncebefore the detection of the occurrence of the predefined condition. 17.The indicator system of claim 13, wherein upon insertion of a key intoan ignition of the lawn care vehicle, the illuminating element isconfigured to illuminate in the third color at least once before thedetection of the occurrence of the predefined condition.
 18. Theindicator system of claim 12, wherein the warning condition is a faultrelating to operation of the lawn care vehicle, the fault comprising atleast one of: detecting if there is no operator in an operator station;detecting if fuel in a fuel tank has dropped below a predetermined levelindicating low fuel; detecting a service/check engine warning; detectinga low oil/oil pressure fault; detecting a tire pressure fault; detectingan engine heat warning; detecting a transmission heat warning; detectingthat RPM of a blade or an engine has passed a threshold; or detecting asteep incline fault.
 19. The indicator system of claim 12, wherein theneutral condition comprises detecting an incoming communication from amobile device, the incoming communication comprising a cellulartelephone call, an incoming email, a text message, a short rangewireless communication call, a page, or a calendar reminder.
 20. Theindicator system of claim 12, wherein the first color is red, the secondcolor is blue, and the third color is green.